Sex is a normal and healthy part of life, but you don’t always want to become pregnant as a result. There are many different types of birth control, with varying success rates, to choose from, including the implant Nexplanon®.
At Primary Care Walk-In Medical Clinic, with locations in Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Mesa, and Scottsdale, Arizona, Dr. Pankaj Chopra, Dr. Neha Maheshwari, and our team offer Nexplanon to our patients looking for long-term, effective birth control. Here’s why we feel it’s a great option for most women.
Birth control comes in two categories: hormonal and barrier.
Hormonal birth control uses estrogen together with progestin or progestin alone if you can’t tolerate the estrogen. These are the reproductive hormones responsible for everything from menstruation to bone density.
Progestin can prevent pregnancy in two ways:
The hormones can be taken as a pill, used in a vaginal ring, given as an injection, or used with an intrauterine device (IUD). When used in a Nexplanon implant, it can offer up to five years of protection.
Barrier birth control, such as dams, external condoms (for men), and internal condoms (for women), prevent pregnancy by inserting a physical barrier between the sperm and the egg.
Nexplanon is a thin rod about the size of a matchstick. We insert it under the skin of your upper arm, where it releases progestin to prevent pregnancy. Here are five good reasons why you should consider it for your birth control needs.
Nexplanon gives you about five years of protection against pregnancy and allows you to forget about it until you need a replacement down the road. So, there is no pill to take or ring to insert, and nothing you have to do before sex to prevent pregnancy.
Nexplanon is more than 99% effective. The implant works just as well as both sterilization procedures and IUDs.
Nexplanon cuts down on the cramping that usually comes with a period. It also makes your period much lighter — and 1 in 3 women with the implant stop getting their periods after a year.
Many hormonal birth control methods contain both estrogen and progestin, but some women with health problems, such as estrogen-fueled breast cancer, can’t use methods that contain estrogen. Nexplanon is not only highly effective at preventing pregnancy, but it’s estrogen-free, making it available to more patients.
If you decide at any point that you want to get pregnant, you can simply have the implant removed. It won’t affect your fertility or make it more challenging to get pregnant in the future. In fact, it’s possible to get pregnant as soon as we remove the implant.
Are you considering birth control but don’t know which option is best for you? Call Primary Care Walk-In Medical Clinic at any of our locations or book online.
